We present the most recent steps undertaken to reform the introductory algebra-based course at The George Washington University. The reform sought to help students improve their problem-solving performance. Our pedagogy relies on didactic constructs such as the" GW-ACCESS problem-solving protocol," "instructional sequences" and…

Offers recommendations for development of an undergraduate desktop publishing course. Discusses scholastic level and prerequisites, purpose and objectives, instructional resources and methodology, assignments and evaluation, and a general course outline. (SR)

Undergraduate geography field courses are relatively rare at American universities, though they can exemplify well the fundamental tenets of learner-centered education. This article reports on an intensive three-week field analysis course taught at Northern Arizona University at Flagstaff, within the Department of Geography, Planning, and…

The Senior Seminar in Communication Theory at George Mason University was originally designed to provide graduating seniors with an opportunity to study a variety of communication theories from all areas of the discipline. More recently it has also been used as a "capstone" course to assess student outcomes, allowing faculty to observe a…

Elements that might be included in a course syllabus are discussed, and reasons for a well-written syllabus are briefly noted. The following syllabus elements are covered: course description, course objectives, course structure, textbook and required materials, recommended optional materials, course schedule, deadlines, evaluation methods, policy…

Presents a master syllabus for a course whose purpose is to introduce students to a variety of topics and subjects in language and communication from a social science perspective. Discusses conceptual issues for the instructor, presents five instructional units, and discusses teaching strategies and evaluation. (SR)

Describes a two-year course sequence that is team taught and theme centered. Themes include the earth, the senses, time, and rate of change. The teaching method is the discovery approach and the role of the teacher is outlined. Explains student assessment and outlines problems and observations related to the program. (GS)

The outline for a reading course based on both intensive and extensive reading of short stories is presented. The 11-week course focuses on five stories, three selected by the teacher and two selected by the students as a class. A course overview details the sequence of reading and classroom activities, and the procedures for a typical four-week…

An intensive statistics course, developed as part of the graduate degree program in public administration at the University of Southern California, meets for eight hours on eight consecutive Saturdays. Its salient features include a preparatory period, concentrated class activity, an application period and individual assessment. (JMD)

This paper describes an undergraduate course called "Applied Communication in Training and Development," which educates students for life while helping them to see the practical application of what they are learning, and also reaches outside the university to meet the training and development needs of the larger community. The paper…

The structure of a course designed to teach oral communicative competence is outlined, and the approach to evaluation is discussed. Evaluation includes both a criterion test and a specific oral task that students must accomplish. (MSE)

The paper presents a teaching regime and evaluation criteria for a general education course in biology. The purpose of the course is to provide students with biological information to help them understand problems facing humans and some of the social and ethical aspects of these problems. Using input from students concerning what constitutes a…

A required one-credit discussion course in research ethics for graduate students in biology is described. The course has four parts: (1) overview of major issues; (2) practical issues in scholarly work; (3) ownership of research results; and (4) graduate student training and personal decisions. A list of weekly topics and related readings is also…

A course in semiotics developed and taught for 16 years at Brookline High School in Massachusetts is described. The course uses four published texts, a series of readings, experiments, language games, and exercises in an effort to broaden, objectify, and integrate the students' conception of language. It consists of four units: (1) signs,…

Although film study is now widely accepted as part of the curriculum of higher education, there appears to be no single accepted method of teaching the subject. In order to design an instructional unit for a one-semester, introductory film study course for community college students, a review of the literature was carried out to examine the…